Thousands of people filled New York City's streets, urging urgent climate action by ditching fossil fuels and kick-starting Climate Week in the city.
Initially estimated by the city's police department at 10,000, according to organizers, the crowd ballooned to around 75,000, all calling for action from the Biden administration.
The U.S. leads in oil and gas production, prompting a desire for stronger climate action from President Joe Biden, with many advocating for the U.S. to declare a climate emergency.
Familiar faces in attendance included Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and actors Kevin Bacon, Susan Sarandon, Edward Norton, Ethan Hawke, and Kyra Sedgewick.
“We have people all across the world in the streets, showing up, demanding a cessation of what is killing us,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “We have to send a message that some of us are going to be living on, on this planet 30, 40, 50 years from now. And we will not take no for an answer.”
This march comes ahead of the United Nations summit on Wednesday, where anticipation is high for leaders to present actionable plans for a global shift to renewable energy economies.
Earlier this month, the World Meteorological Organization revealed data confirming that June to August 2023 was the hottest three-month period ever recorded globally.
And the UN attributed climate change to increased carbon fuel consumption, which emits greenhouse gases that trap heat, and cited the influence of this year's El Niño on global temperature rise.
Tens of thousands unite in global climate protest
Protest organizers anticipate millions of people participating in the global turnout over the weekend.
